Haiti Two Years Later: Businesses that Help Rebuild a Country

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) introduced an online portal, "Haiti: Two Years Later," to mark the two years that have passed since the country experienced the devastating earthquake. The portal’s focus is on the entrepreneurial opportunities for rebuilding and social progress that exist today in Haiti, as well as the important role business investments, including CSR programs, are playing.

“In the last two years, Haiti has forced companies to think more strategically about how to run a successful business in a country that not only requires market adaptation but also social investment,” said BCLC’s Global CSR Manager, Taryn Bird, in a recent blog post. “Working in Haiti means that a company’s CSR and business units must fuse their respective tenets to find opportunity for market success and social improvement.”

“Haiti: A Bright Business Horizon,” written by Taryn Bird about the rich economic- and social-investment opportunities businesses have today in Haiti, particularly due to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Haitian people

Specific examples of Haiti investments by BCLC member companies

A video gallery and a photo gallery of recovery efforts and business solutions in the region

Links to BCLC’s two-year work on Haiti’s recovery, including information on the June 2010 corporate delegation trip and the Haiti Corporate Aid Tracker that was created in the immediate aftermath

Businesses played a key role in the immediate relief effort two years ago, donating resources and funds to the tune of nearly $148 million. This business response is the fourth-largest to a natural disaster, behind only Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Southeast Asia tsunami in late 2004, and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami last year.

The Haiti: Two Years Later portal will be updated as more developments in the region occur. If you know of a specific company or a private-sector partnership that is making a long-term difference, let us know.

About The Business Civic Leadership Center

BCLC is the U.S. Chamber’s resource and voice for businesses’ social and philanthropic interests. Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.